Method of and apparatus for feeding filaments



R. KUNATH June 12, 1934.

METHOD OF AND APPARATU FOR FEEDING FILAMENTS 3 Sheets-She r 1 Filed July19, 1930 lo I .Z'N V N TUR R UUULF K UNA TH.

Hrs ATTDRZYEY June 12, 1934. R/KUNATH 3 11 I METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FORFEEDING FILAMENTS Filed July 19, 1930 s Sheets-Sheet 2 fN'x/EN TUF...

RUDULF KUNATH,

Hrs A127" 03.22251- June 12, 1934. R, KUNATH l,962,902

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FILAMENTS Filed July 19, 1930 3Sheets-Sheet 3 i w as far [WEN TCLFL .FL UDUL F K UNATH BY Wm .5Arum-Jamar I Patented June 12,1934

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FILAM'ENTS Rudolf Kunath,Berlin-Tempelhot, Germany, assignor to General Electric Company,- a.corporation of New York Application July 19, 1930, Serial No. 469,166 InGermany August 2, 1929 6 Claims. (Cl. 140-132) My invention relates toapparatus for feeding wires from a source of supply to a machine inwhich they are mounted or otherwise treated. My invention isparticularly adapted to the feeding of coiled filaments for electricincandescent lamps and is especially adapted for 'use in connection witha machine for mounting said filaments. The object of my invention is toproduce an apparatus which will be automatic in its operation and whichwill present the filaments uniformly in the proper positions. Accordingto my invention I provide a receptacle or trough in which the filamentsare piled up and a pair of pliers is mounted so that it can be movedinto I and out of the receptacle to remove the filaments one by one, thejaws of the pliers being so shaped that they will take but one filamentat a time. My invention is particularly adapted to the feeding of coiledfilaments which are used to a large extent in incandescent lamps.Various other 3c 7 and 8 are detail plan views showing the plieroperating mechanism; and Figs. 9 and 10 are elevations showingmodifications of the pliers and controlling mechanism. 4

The device comprises the table 1 upon which is supported a trough 2which n inclined vertically. The coiled filaments 3 are carried in thebottom'of the trough and are arranged so that they are straight andextend horizontally and transversely of the trough. An endless belt a ismounted so as to supply filaments to the trough from time to time. Abovethe trough 2 a pair of pliers is mounted so that it can move up and downand also sideways. Thesaid pliers comprise a stationary jaw 6 which issupported by a cross arm 5 and a movable-jaw '7 which is pivoted in abearing 8 carried by the stationary jaw. Between the top ends of thejaws is located a spring 9 which tends to keep the bottom ends of thejaws together and the pliers closed. At the 5 lower end of thestationary jaw 6 there is a pocket-shaped recess 10 which corresponds inwidth to the cross section of the coiled filament which is to be handledbut has a somewhat smaller depth than the diameter of the filament sothat when the pliers close only a single coiled filament can be seizedby the pliers, and moreover, enough of the filament projects so that itis compressed in the said recess and prevents it fromsliding sidewaysout of the said recess. At the top end of the'movable plier jaw '7 aplate 11 is fastened which has hinged at 12 a catch 13. The catch 13 ispressed by. a spring 14 and tends to. hold the top ends of the two plierjaws 6. and 7 together and thereforeto keep-the plier jaws open. Theopening of the plier. jaws is. caused when the plate 11 of the movableplier jaw '7 strikes'ag ainst a stop 15. Thellocking of the plier jawsresults when the plate 11 of the movable plier jaw 7 strikesagainst astop 15 as the plate 11 is then near to the top part of the jaw 6 and 7cthe catch 13 can then snap in and lock. The unlocking of the plier jawsis caused by a plunger 16 which moves against the catch 13.

The plier jaws 6 and 7 which grip and lift the coiled filaments areoperated. from a shaft 17 35, which is constantly rotated by means of adriving disc 18. Three cam wheels 19, 20, and 21 are fastened on thisshaft 17-; cam wheel 19 serving for raising and lowering the pliers 6and 7, wheel 20 for moving the pliers 6 and Z side- 3g ways, and wheel21 for actuating the plunger 16 which releases the'locking catch 13.

A roller 22 slides on the cam wheel 19, which roller is fastened to thebottom end of a bar 23 which is connected to the cross arm 5. The gg bar23 can move up and down'in a bearing block 24 which, in turn,- can nfovein guiding rails 25 (Fig. 3) perpendicular tosthe bar 23. Between acollar 26 of the bar 23 and the top fiange'z'i of the block'24 a spring28 is provided which no ered through the action of the spring 28 so that7 the mouth of the pliers penetrates into the pile of filaments. 4 1

To the table plate 1 an angle lever 29 is pivoted M30. The angle lever29 is provided. onv

the bottom with a roller 31 which runs over the cam wheel 20, .and ontop with a slot 32, through which extends a guide stud 33perpendicularlyto the bearing block 24. Between the angle'lever 29 andthe arm 34 extending from the stationary table plate 1 a tension spring35 is provided ll.

- together with thebar 23, cross arm 5 and pliers 6 and 7, is moved fromleft to right, The return movement from right to left is taken care ofby the action of spring .as soon as'the elevated part of cam wheel 20has passed under the roller 31. 'When the pliers 6 and '7 move from leftto right, roller 22 runs off its cam wheel 19 and on to the top surfaceof the angular arm 36 which serves as guiding track.

The plunger 16 which serves for unlocking the jaws of the pliers ismovably mounted in' a support 3'7 fastened'to the table plate 1. On oneend of the plunger 16 a spring 38 is mounted, one end of which isfastened to the support 37 and the other end to a collar 39 of theplunger 16. The rounded head 40, at the end of the plunger 16 is,through the action of this spring 38, kept in constant contact with acurved plate 41 of a lever 42 which bears on a stud 43 of the tableplate 1 so that it can rock. The lever 42 carries a roller 44 which iskept in continuous contact with the cam wheel 21 .on account of theaction of a spring 45 which is fastened to the lever 42.. If the roller44 is lifted by the elevated part of the camwheel 21, the curved plate41 presses against the rounded head ,40 and shoves the plunger 16,against the action of the spring38, into the unlocking position. As soonas the elevated part of the curved disc 21 has again moved from underthe roller 44, the plunger 16 and the swinging lever 42 are againbrought to their original positions through the action of the springs 38and 45. 1

Below the trough 2 are located a slide plate 46 which slopes downwardlyand is fastened to table plate 1 and a form 47-'-48 consisting of twoparts, the top 47 of which has a sloping slide plane 49 which forms astraight extension of the slide plate 46. The bottom part 48 of the formhas a groove 50 which servesto take the 'coiledfilament 3 which fallsout of the pliers 6 and 7 and down the slide plate 46. By means ofaperpendicularly movable gate 51 with sloping bottom 52, the groove 50which takes the coiled filament may be closed so that a chanthe lowerpart of the cam wheel-19 so thatthe open jaws of the pliers penetratethe pile of filaments. The stroke of the pliers is such that the jaws ofthe pliers do not penetrate to the bottom of the trough but stop withinthe pile. Shortly before the pliers reach the lowest 'posltion or at themoment they are stopped, the plunger 16 is moved forward by the actionof the cam wheel 21 andthe catch 13 which holds the pliers'in openposition is released so that the plier jaws 6 and 7 are then closed bythe action of the spring 9 and a coiled filament of the pile is clampedbetween the jaws or enclosed in the pocket-shaped recess 10. In themeantime the cam wheel 19 has rotated so far that its elevated partagain moves underthe roller As soon as the pliers reach the topposition, the

elevated part of the cam wheel 20 causes a movement of the bearing block24 and, consequently, also of the bar 23, the cross arm 5 and the pliers6 and 7 to the right so that the pliers 6 and 7 pass over the edge ofthe trough'2 and are then above the slide plate 46. At the end of thismovement to the right, the plate 11 of the movable plier jaw 7 strikesagainst the solid stop 15 which causes the top ends of the pliers toapproach each other and the jaws of the pliers to open, discharging acoiled filament 3. The coiled ,filament then slides over the plate 46and the instance, to push or pull it through the eyelets of a filamentsupport where it will, finally, be pressed or welded to the currentsupply wires of the said support. The pliers remain open when'the coiledfilament 3 isreleased as the spring catch 13 snaps in immediately afterthe top ends of the pliers move together. The further rotation of thecam wheel 20 and the action of the spring 35 causes the pliers whichremain open to move again from right to left and are ready for therepetition of the cycle. By placing the trough 2 in a sloping position,a conically-shaped bottom part is formed in which the coiled filamentsare gathered. This is important for a positive gripping of the coiledfilaments as the coiled filaments which remain after one has beengripped by the pliers and has been lifted will again accumulate in thenarrowest space. It is sufficient if only the bottom part of the troughwhich takes the coiled filaments has a conical shape. The gripping ofthe coiled filaments is helped by the fact that the pliers swing backand forth within the pile of filaments and agitate them.

The shape of the groove between the jaws of the pliers may be modified,for instance, by providing-it with conical walls. The groove may belocated in the movable jaw instead of in the stationary jaw or half maybe located in the stationary and half in the movable jaw; The

ment 3. The movable plier jaw '7 is located in the retracted positionshown in the drawings before it takes a coiled filament. Both jaws ofthe pliers 6 and 7, may be. movable up and down in an inclined directionby drives (not shown). As soon as the pliers have penetrated into thetrough, the movable jaw 7 is moved in the direction of the arrow bymeans of a drive (not shown) so that it slides over the groove 10 andclamps the coiled filamentv under a slight pressure therein. The bottomend of the jaw '7 may be pointed or rounded ofit as shown by the dottedlines. When the pliers 6 and 7 are raised at an angle the jaw ends moveover the edge of the trough, so that when the jaw 7 moves back, thecoiled filament may drop on a suitable slide.

The pliers may have several wedge-shaped grooves 10 instead of one, asshown in Fig. 10. In this case the stationary jaw 6 is arranged toadvantage underneath the movable jaw, as shown, and the pair of pliersis rotated in the direction of the arrow after it has been raised out ofthe trough. The release of the coiled filaments is secured by aretraction of the movable jaw 7 which is located at the bottom after therotation.

The filaments which drop out of the pliers may also be taken up by atransporting belt or by a board with grooves which is moved by steps orby a drum which is provided with grooves and which can rotate, andwhich, in turn, supply the coiled filaments to the place where they areto be used. However, it may also be arranged that the coiled filamentswhich are released by the pliers fall directly in the proper place.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with astationary jaw and a movable jaw pivoted thereto of a locking means forsaid jaws comprising a spring pressed catch pivoted on said movable jawand means for causing 'said catch to alternately engage said stationaryjaw and to be released therefrom to allow the opening and closing ofsaid jaws.

2. In a device of the character-described, the combination of a pair ofpliers comprising a stationary jaw and a movable jaw pivoted thereto,supporting means connected to said stationary jaw, cams and arms forraising, lowering and reciprocating said supporting means, a catchpivoted to said movable jaw and adapted to engage said stationary jawand means catch to be operated periodically to open or close said jaws.

3. The method of feeding coiled filaments ior for causing saidincandescent lamps and similar devices which consists in arranging in areceptacle a pile' of such filaments each in'a substantially horizontalposition, and then removing one filament at a time by gripping themiddle of a filament .n the pile, lifting said filament from saidreceptacle and allowing it to fall upon a fiat surface.

4. The method of feeding coiled filaments for incandescent lamps andsimilar devices which consistsin arranging in a receptacle a pile ofsuch filaments each in a substantially horizontal position, and thenremoving one filament at a time by gripping the middle of a filament inthe pile, lifting said filament from said receptacle and allowing it tofall upon a flat inclined surface and to slide down said surface.

5. In an apparatus for feeding filaments, the

ply of filaments, supporting means comprising a cross arm extending oversaid hopper, a pair of substantially vertically disposed pliers carriedby said cross arm, a cam operating on said support to move said pliersvertically and horizontally and other members acting on said pliers toclose and open them to grip a filament and then to release it.

. combination of a hopper adapted to hold a sup- 6. In an apparatus forfeeding filaments, the I combination of a hopper adapted to hold asupply of filaments, a slide plate, supporting means comprising a crossarm extending over said hopper, a pair of substantially verticallydisposed pliers carried by said cross arm, ing on said support to movesaid pliers vertically and horizontally to lower them into said hopper,raise them therefrom and move them to a position over said slide plateand other members acting on said pliers to close and open them to grip afilament and then to release it.

RUDOLF KUNATH.

a cam operat-

